Choir Day

Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Choir Day gives high school choirs the opportunity to come together in the Music Building to perform for and listen to fellow choir members, directors and NIU faculty members. Students also have the chance to learn from an accomplished guest clinician.


Registration

  • Cost: $250 per school (due two weeks before event)
  • Registration deadline: Sept. 8, 2023
    • This clinic is limited to eight schools.

Online Registration Form

Be sure to register by the deadline. A registration fee is charged for each ensemble and is due two weeks before the event date. Please note: only one ensemble per school, unless space allows.

Cancellations

If you cancel five or more business days before the event, you may request a refund from Kristin Sherman at ksherman2@niu.edu or 815-753-1450. No refunds will be made after this time unless NIU cancels the event.


Staff

Participants will work with several NIU faculty members, including:


Guest Clinician

For Choir Day 2023, the NIU School of Music welcomes Jennaya Robison our guest clinician!

Jennaya Robison is the Raymond R. Neevel/Missouri associate professor in choral music and director of choral studies in the Conservatory at the University of Missouri-Kansas City where she conducts the Conservatory Singers and leads the graduate program in choral conducting. She is in demand as a conductor, clinician and soprano throughout the United States. She has held previous positions at Luther College, the University of Arizona and the University of New Mexico. She has conducted and taught courses in choral singing and global connection in the United States, Namibia, South Africa and Germany. She currently serves as the American Choral Directors National co-chair for student activities (programming.) Additionally, she was the artistic director of Scottsdale Musical Arts, a multi-generational organization composed of a professional orchestra and choir as well as children' s choirs and youth orchestras. She has taught in public schools in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Robison is a passionate advocate for the use of singers' authentic voices in the choral ensemble. She has served as an invited conductor and clinician for numerous all-state festivals and honor choirs throughout the United States and has presented at national, regional, and state ACDA, NAfMe and NATS conferences. She has served as a soloist with numerous choirs and orchestras including True Concord and the Dale Warland Singers. Her choral series is published with Pavane Music and she serves on the editorial board for Galaxy Music. Additional arrangements and compositions are published by Kjos Music, Morningstar Music and Galaxy Music. Her chapter on Weston Noble is featured in the upcoming book, " In Perfect Harmony: 50 Inspiring Stories from Choral Musicians Around the World." (GIA) An active church musician, she is a frequent guest conductor and clinician for various music and worship conferences.

She holds a doctorate of musical arts in choral conducting from the University of Arizona, a master of music in conducting and voice from the University of New Mexico, and a bachelor of arts in music from Luther College.


Schedule

School Choir Name Director Name Warm-up
Room 155
(20 minutes)
Performance and Clinic
Concert Hall
(25 minutes)
Critique
Room 171
(20 minutes)
Johnsburg High School Choir Samantha Thielen Pak 8:30 a.m. 9 a.m. 9:30 a.m.
Crystal Lake Central ACapella Singers Kimberly Scherrer 9:05 a.m. 9:30 a.m. 10 a.m.
South Elgin High School Treble Choir Amanda Brex-Castillo 9:30 a.m. 10 a.m. 10:30 a.m.
Romeoville HS Chorale Andrew White 10:05 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 11 a.m.
Glenbard West High School Chamber Choir Andy Jeffrey 10:30 a.m. 11 a.m. 1:15 p.m.
Admissions Welcome with Austyn Menk 11:30 a.m.
Performance by NIU Concert Choir 11:35 a.m.
Lunch Noon
Jefferson High School Concert Choir Jerry Buckley 12:50 p.m. 1:15 p.m. 1:45 p.m.
Freeport High School Concert Choir Britney Kieselhorst 1:20 p.m. 1:45 p.m. 2:15 p.m.
DeKalb High School Chamber Choir Travis Erikson 1:50 p.m. 2:15 p.m. 2:45 p.m.
Rochelle Concert Choir Cory Ellis 2:20 p.m. 2:45 p.m. 3:15 p.m.

Contact Us

College of Visual and Performing Arts
Office of External Programs

Music Building 132

Kristin Sherman
815-753-1450
ksherman2@niu.edu

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Online Office Hours

Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
(lunch from noon – 1 p.m.)

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